While we are still awaiting the first Android phone we already have the Opera Mini browser launched in readiness for the HTC Dream’s release.

With no handset to operate the browser on you may be asking what madness is this? But tech heads keen to get a feel for Opera Mini’s Android edition can test the system using the Android Emulator and just squint real hard.

The excitement is definitely growing given Google’s track record and many are counting on May 6th and the rumored launch of the HTC Dream to get an idea of wehther all the hype is warranted and whether Google can deliver on Mobile OS as it delivered on email.

If you want to try it out you’ll need to download and install the latest version of the Android SDK, obtain the Opera Mini for Android package, start the emulator tool and transfer and install the Opera package to the emulator. Opera Mini should appear in the applications folder.

Promising to improve the way Opera Mini interacts with your phone to make browsing more convenient, more productive and more fun, the 4.1 Beta includes a healthy dose of new features.


Claiming to be up to 50% faster than Opera Mini 4 with features such as URL auto-complete, page saving for offline access, content finding within a page and ability to download/upload files and add attachments to your email.


Not convinced? Check out the video or is you’re sold why not hop over to their official site and start downloading.